What would it take for you to change your life? For Texas woman Haley Smith, a single joyful moment became a wake-up call.
Smith’s boyfriend (now husband) proposed to her in 2015, and when she saw photos of the moment, even though she was thrilled, she was also “ashamed.”
“My whole adult life, I have struggled with my weight, but this was my highest. I had let myself go and didn’t even realize how far I had gotten,” she wrote on Instagram. At the time of her engagement, Smith estimated she was around 280 pounds.
She decided to make a change — a real one, not just the series of extreme diets and routine changes she had previously tried. She documented her progress on Instagram, and a little more than a year later, Smith walked down the aisle about 115 pounds lighter.
Smith posted pictures of herself at her engagement next to her at her wedding. Despite the physical differences, she is flashing the same brilliant smile.
“Both were amazing days that were filled with joy, but they are just two completely different people. I’ve gained and lost a person in this last year, some good and some bad,” she wrote. “Looking at these pictures makes me feel so proud and excited about what’s to come!”